Hemerocallis plant named ‘Connie Marks’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Hemerocallis  named ‘Connie Marks’ characterized by double, light yellow, fragrant flowers that are nocturnal, fully double, lightly creped and ruffled, 13.4 cm in diameter, and of considerable substance that blooms for 24 hours. ‘Connie Marks’ has a propensity to form a plurality of scapes per fan and two scapes per fan per bloom period; is heat and cold hardy to a wide range of Hardiness Zones-U.S.D.A. zones No. 3 to No. 7; has a delicate perfumed fragrance; and an extended bloom period from early June until the end of July which is longer than a thirty day or less average for more than 99% of cultivates currently in the trade. ‘Connie Marks’ cleanly sheds spent flowers to allow new buds to fully develop, readily propagates by division and exhibits a moderate rate of multiplication of three or more fans per year, and is resistant to daylily rust ( Puccinia hemerocallidis .)

Botanical classification: Hemerocallis sp.

Cultivar designation: ‘Connie Marks’.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

A new and distinct Hemerocallis cultivar ‘Connie Marks’, herein after also referred to as “the plant”, is a new and distinct plant variety that has been asexually reproduced true to type by division in successive generations. It was discovered in a cultivated area when it first bloomed during the summer of 2001 at a commercial nursery/garden center located in Culpeper, Va. The plant ‘Connie Marks’ is the offspring of the daylily variety named ‘Hyperion’ which was registered in about 1925. ‘Hyperion’ was the only daylily growing in the nursery garden vicinity where ‘Connie Marks’ was discovered. The large ‘Hyperion’ clump had a smaller 6 fan, double yellow flowered ‘Connie Marks’ clump growing on its perimeter. ‘Hyperion's’ flowers are single. The plant has been successfully propagated by division methods at the same nursery to produce identical plants that maintain the unique characteristics of the original. Since 2001 the original 6 fan ‘Connie Marks’ has been repeatedly divided to produce numerous plants that are phenotypically identical.

Hemerocallis hybrida ‘Hyperion’ is the vegetative parent of ‘Connie Marks’, which is a mutation. There were no daylilies, except ‘Hyperion,’ growing in the larger nursery garden and due to physical structures of the nursery and surrounding 8 foot high arborvitae hedge, with no daylilies outside of the hedge, normal prevailing winds would not indicate pollen was windborne from a distant site.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and represent the characteristics of ‘Connie Marks’. These attributes, in combination, distinguish ‘Connie Marks’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   (1) ‘Connie Marks’ is a nocturnal, fully double, lightly creped         and ruffled, 13.4 cm in diameter, light yellow daylily of         considerable substance that blooms for 24 hours;     -   (2) ‘Connie Marks’ has a propensity to form a plurality of         scapes per fan, two scapes per fan per bloom period;     -   (3) ‘Connie Marks’ is heat and cold hardy to a wide range of         Hardiness Zones-U.S.D.A. zones No. 3-No. 7;     -   (4) ‘Connie Marks’ has a delicate perfumed fragrance;     -   (5) ‘Connie Marks’ has an extended bloom period from early June         until the end of July which is longer than a thirty day average         bloom period for more than 99% of cultivars currently in the         trade which have bloom periods of less than thirty days;     -   (6) ‘Connie Marks’ cleanly sheds spent flowers to allow new buds         to fully develop;     -   (7) The plant readily propagates by division and exhibits         moderate rate of multiplication of three or more fans per fan         per year; and     -   (8) ‘Connie Marks’ is resistant to daylily rust — Puccinia         hemerocallidis.

Plants of the cultivar ‘Connie Marks’ can be compared to the parent cultivar Hemerocallis hybrida ‘Hyperion’ (unpatented). Plants of the instant cultivar ‘Connie Marks’ and plants of the cultivar ‘Hyperion’ differ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of ‘Connie Marks’ have double flowers whereas plants         of ‘Hyperion’ have single flowers.     -   2. Plants of ‘Connie Marks’ have smaller flowers than plants of         ‘Hyperion’.     -   3. Plants of ‘Connie Marks’ have petaloids with anthers, whereas         plants of ‘Hyperion’ have the more typical anthers attached to         filaments.     -   4. Plants of ‘Connie Marks’ exhibit more creping on the inner         tepals than plants of ‘Hyperion’.

Presently, the most commercially similar cultivar to the claimed cultivar ‘Connie Marks’ is the parent cultivar ‘Hyperion’, to which a comparison is provided above.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs of the new variety ‘Connie Marks’ demonstrate the overall appearance of the plant, including several unique traits. The colors shown are as accurate as reasonably possible with color reproductions of this type. Ambient light spectrum, source and direction may cause the appearance of minor variation in colors but in general the dominant color is a light lemon yellow. Color values cited in the detailed botanical description more accurately describe the actual colors of ‘Connie Marks’.

FIG. 1 shows a close-up frontal view of a typical plant of ‘Connie Marks’ with a clump of several flowers, buds, scapes, stems, etc. visible;

FIG. 2 shows a frontal view of a typical blossom of ‘Connie Marks’; and

FIG. 3 shows some of the unique sexual structures of ‘Connie Marks’, including petaloids with anthers.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of a three year old plant of the new cultivar as grown outdoors in a three gallon container in Culpeper, Va. The color determination is in accordance with The 2007 R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England, except where general color terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   General characteristics:     -   -   Bloom period.—Early June until end of July.         -   Plant habit.—Herbaceous perennial, grass-like foliage.         -   Height and spread.—Hardy, deciduous, winter dormant,             herbaceous rhizomatous perennial with basal linear leaves             arching in upper ⅔s, natural foliage spread is generally 66             cm in diameter and generally 79 cm tall with an occasional             leaf up to 90 cm tall and symmetrical.         -   Hardiness.—U.S.D.A. zones No. 3 to 7.         -   Disease resistance.—Has been observed to be resistant to             daylily rust — Puccinia hemerocallidis.         -   Root description.—Fibrous roots.         -   Propagation.—Division; and.         -   Growth rate.—Moderate with three to four fans per fan             season. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Leaf shape.—Linear.         -   Leaf division.—Simple.         -   Leaf base.—Sheathed to crown.         -   Leaf apex.—Narrowly acute.         -   Leaf venation.—Longitudinal, parallel, same color as leaves.         -   Leaf margin.—Entire.         -   Leaf attachment.—Sheathed, not petioled.         -   Leaf arrangement.—Fan shaped.         -   Leaf surface.—Glabrous (without hairs).         -   Leaf color.—Mature leaves (upper and lower surface) R.H.S.             Green Group upper leaf 137B and lower leaf 137C.         -   Leaf size.—Up to 90 cm in length, 0.5 to 2 cm wide; and.         -   Leaf quantity.—Approximately 150 leaves to 3 gallon pot. -   Flower scape description:     -   -   Scape shape.—In approximately equal proportions scapes are             ovoid, square, and round and ovoid at the base and all             scapes are hollow.         -   Scape number.—Two per fan at one time.         -   Scape aspect.—Straight, held upright.         -   Scape size.—An average of 63.5 cm in length and 8 mm in             width, branches average 3 cm in length and 4 mm in width.         -   Scape color.—R.H.S 138A, Green.         -   Scape surface.—Glabrous.         -   Scape branching.—Average three branches per scape, internode             length 2 cm; and.         -   Scape leaves.—One per branch point plus two additional not             at branch points, shortest at 1.2 cm long up to longest at             6.8 cm, not at branch, but on shaft, all leaves are             glabrous. Color of scape leaves is not readily available. -   Flower description:     -   -   Inflorescence type.—Scape bearing one to two double flowers             simultaneously.         -   Inflorescence size.—An average of 6 cm deep and 13.4 cm in             diameter.         -   Flower duration.—About twenty four hours, self cleaning.         -   Flower number.—Average of twelve per scape over entire             blooming season.         -   Flower aspect.—Upward to outward.         -   Flower bud color.—Apex: R.H.S. 144C, Yellow-Green;             longitudinally RHS 150B, Yellow-Green; longitudinal edges             RHS 154A Yellow-Green.         -   Flower bud shape.—Oblanceolate, broadest width above the             middle.         -   Flower bud size.—Average length 5.5 cm; average width 2 cm.         -   Flower attachment.—Pedunculate.         -   Petal color.—R.H.S. 7A, Yellow; on both sides, base has a             light green throat, RHS 154B, Yellow-Green.         -   Petal number.—About 7 to 8 per flower.         -   Petal shape.—Broadly lanceolate with petaloid variety.         -   Petaloid color.—R.H.S. 7A, Yellow, with slight base, throat             of RHS 154B, Yellow-Green.         -   Petaloid number.—About 4-5 per flower.         -   Petaloid size.—Average length about 70 mm; average width             about 27.5 mm.         -   Petaloid shape.—Oblanceolate.         -   Petal surface.—Glabrous, waxy, mid-vein raised in upper             surface, creped texture.         -   Petal margins.—Entire, and lightly ruffled, slightly             irregular.         -   Petal apex.—Slightly irregular and rounded, obtuse.         -   Petal size.—Average width 4.3 cm and 10 cm long.         -   Petal aspect.—Slightly recurved.         -   Sepal number.—50% three and 50% four.         -   Sepal shape.—Elliptical to narrowly lanceolate, moderately             recurved.         -   Sepal margin.—Entire, very slightly ruffled.         -   Sepal size.—Width in the middle 2.3 cm and 10.3 cm long.         -   Sepal aspect.—Moderately recurved.         -   Sepal surface.—Glabrous, smooth surface.         -   Sepal apex.—Acute.         -   Sepal base.—Fused.         -   Sepal color.—Both surfaces R.H.S. 7A, Yellow base with RHS             154B, Yellow-Green to form slightly green throat.         -   Pedicel size.—Average 1.0 cm in length and 4mm in width.         -   Pedicel shape.—Ovoid, three sided.         -   Pedicel color.—R.H.S. 144A, Yellow-Green; and.         -   Pedicel strength/aspect.—Moderately strong, held at about             20° relative to peduncle.         -   Peduncle color.—R.H.S. 137C, green.         -   Peduncle strength.—Rigid and sturdy. -   Reproductive organs:     -   -   (1) Gynoecium (female).—One pistil per flower. Pistil varies             with some pistils corkscrewing around inside flower, some             very short (3 cm) and an average length of 7.8 cm and 1 mm             in width with color RHS12C, Yellow, some are longer with             multiple branches near the apex, less than 40% have an             average length of about 9 cm and a width on average 1 mm,             approximately 90% of ovaries are 5 mm in length and an             average width of 4 mm and color RHS 138B, Green; ovules base             color RHS 11B, Yellow, apex (Stigma) RHS 12C, Yellow (note             particularly FIG. 3).         -   (2) Androecium (male).—Stamen (anther and filament) — the             number of filament anthers and petaloid anthers varies with             the greatest number observed being six petaloid anthers and             three filament anthers, petaloid color RHS 7A, Yellow (note             again FIG. 3). Pollen — color RHS 16A, Yellow-Orange,             moderate in quantity for anthers. Stamens — Average filament             length 6.8 cm, width 1 mm, filament color RHS 11 A, Yellow,             anthers measure on average a total of 6.17 mm in length for             anthers with color RHS 17A, Yellow-Orange. -   Fragrance: Light perfume like fragrance similar to cultivar     ‘Hyperion’. -   Habitat in Culpeper, Virginia experiences a normal summer; daytime     high temperature ranges between 24°-34° C., with a nighttime low     temperature range of 9° to 20° C. -   Fruit/seeds: No fruit or seeds have been observed to date. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Hemerocallis plant named ‘Connie Marks’ as illustrated and described herein. 